Strange Trouble

by Laken Cane

“How is it the Others are infected? Can the vampires be infected? And where are the rest of the Others? I’ve seen only a few, and they were all zombies.”

  Finally, a spark of something other than amiability flashed through the vampire’s eyes. “Dead, zombies, and in the Camp.”

  Rune shivered. “Tell me.”

  “We were overrun by corrupt, greedy, sadistic men. They loaded the Others into the Camp for the slightest infringements—most of the charges were fabricated by law enforcement. To keep free Others in line, their loved ones were hurt.” The vampire held a hand to her chest. “Darkness has covered Rock County like a blanket, and no one knew. No one cared.”

  “What’d they do in the Camp?”

  She pursed her lips, then shrugged. “Among other things, they fight the Others for money.”

  “Fuck.” It was a big money maker, fighting Others. Like cockfights and dogfights, Otherfights were illegal but that didn’t stop them from happening.

  “The Camp is not a pleasant place.”

  “I don’t understand. Vampires are powerful. Why didn’t you—”

  “My responsibility is to my coven. The Others would have rebelled eventually and all hell, as they say, would have broken loose. But then, someone worse came, and the zombies came, and Rock County has already become a ghost town.” Marta motioned to something behind her. “Beside me, children.”

  Rune watched, breath held, as small black cats began slinking from the shadows, curling themselves around Marta’s legs, trying to get as close to her as possible.

  “Cats?” Rune asked. “Your children are cats?”

  “What the fuck?” Jack muttered.

  “They are now. Most of them. There is a being. A witch, if you will,” Marta said. “She goes by the name Damascus. She’s…unimaginable.” She paused, her eyes shining like pieces of glitter had been caught inside the black orbs. “She did this to my vampires. We need you to send her away.”

  “Me?”

  “The witch has to die or be sent back to her world. No one else we know has a chance against her—but then, no one else we know is brave enough to try.”

  Rune raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with the flattery.

  Marta continued when Rune remained silent. “The vampires, the Others, the humans…we are powerless against her. But you are more than vampire. You are more than anything I’ve ever seen, second to Damascus.” She stepped closer, despite the gun Rune continued to point at her heart. “You must save us.”

  “There is no time,” Levi said. “They are coming to level the place.”

  “Let them destroy the witch,” Jack said. “We can’t.”

  “No,” Marta said. “Guns or blades or bombs cannot destroy Damascus. Her parts will knit back together and she will be better than ever. This is what she does. She is not exactly…physical. It will take a special kind of magic to stand against the witch. To defeat her.” She looked once more at Rune. “You have that power inside you. Nicolas Llodra assured me of this.”

  Rune’s legs weakened and she forced herself not to tremble. “How do you know Llodra?”

  Marta smiled gently, almost pityingly. “We are vampires, Rune. We know each other.”

  “What does he have to do with all of this?”

  “Nicolas knows the witch and knows her well. He knows her weaknesses and her strengths.”

  “How?”

  Marta leaned over to stroke one of her cats. “She is his maker.”

  Rune couldn’t breathe.

  She frowned as a memory, just out of reach, swam through her mind. “He’s mad. And probably already dead. My people—”

  “Nicolas lives,” Marta interrupted. “But not for long. He is being starved and tortured. Your people are not much different from the Rock County humans. They are slowly killing him, and you must not let that happen.”

  And suddenly she remembered. Remembered Llodra in her head, telling her to save him.

  “Nicolas is a bit mad,” Marta continued. “He has made mistakes. But he is not an…evil vampire, really. He needs help.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  “The witch Damascus terrifies him. Nicolas escaped her. He had another witch surround him with a…scrambling spell, if you will, in the very distant past. Damascus could not find him until a few days ago. She was off by a few miles and landed here thanks to...” She shook her head impatiently. “That doesn’t matter. But she didn’t believe he wasn’t here hiding or that we weren’t hiding him.” She gestured at the cats. “Her excuse for tormenting our Others.”

  “She created the zombies,” Jack guessed.

  “It’s a complicated story,” Marta said.

  “Then condense it for us,” Rune suggested. “Please.”

  “The child Stefanie brought forth the first zombies,” Marta said, “before Damascus even arrived. Stefanie’s mother had died. The children were devastated.

  “The authorities discovered her…gift and were going to sell her to the highest bidder. But then Damascus came.” She shrugged. “Stefanie was partly responsible for the witch arriving here. Princess of the dead calling to the queen of the dead, perhaps. If not for the child, I’m sure the witch would have appeared closer to your town.”

  “Because she finally tracked Llodra.”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me about the zombies.”

  “Damascus is controlling the newly infected dead. She is animating them with her filthy magic. That is why the Others are being infected—because of her. If you send her back to her world, those animated with her magic will end.”

  “How do you know so much about the witch?” Jack asked, mistrust evident in his voice.

  “I know because we are connected. Damascus is Nicolas Llodra’s maker. And he is mine.”

  She gazed steadily at Rune, her eyes glittering in the darkness. “If you send the witch away, the new zombies will be destroyed. If you don’t, they will infest the world. You will have a zombie apocalypse.”

  “What about the regular zombies?”

  Marta’s smile was wide and a little superior. “You and the humans will manage to put them down. They are easier to deal with, are they not?” Then she dropped her smile. “But I care little for that. The witch wants Nicolas. And she will find him. If she reaches him, everyone in your RISC building will die, and she will take the master.” For the first time, Marta’s voice broke and the jolly façade began to crack.

  “How can I kill her?”

  Marta shook her head. “I do not have much faith in your ability to kill her, but I do believe you can send her back. If you make her fear you, she will go. You have to try. But first, you have to make your people release my maker.”

  “I don’t have to do anything,” Rune said.

  Her cell rang, the sudden sound causing her to jerk. She holstered her gun and pulled the cell from her pocket. “Raze?”

  “Rune, Fie is gone.”

  “What?”

  “I found George unconscious on the floor. When I got him to wake up…” His swallow was loud. “His eyes are empty. He’s awake but can’t talk. Doesn’t even acknowledge me. He’s not a zombie. Just…it’s like something terrible happened and he withdrew into himself. Like that.”

  “The witch has the child,” Marta said.

  Lex took the phone from Rune’s numb hand. Rune heard her talking to Raze, but had no idea what she was saying. Inside her head was just white noise.

  Damascus.

  “She’s here,” Rune whispered.

  Marta glided closer, close enough to touch. She peered down into Rune’s eyes, then shook her head. “No, darling. She’s not here.” She gestured at the area, then put her fingers against Rune’s scalp. “She’s in there.”

  “What do you mean?” Jack asked. “What the fuck do you mean?”

  “She’s aware of Rune. She’s welcoming the challenge. She came for Nicolas Llodra, but you have caught her interest.”

  Rune realized she was nodding. “God, yes. Oh, God.�
� She put her hand to her mouth. I feel her. Why do I feel her?

  Marta’s voice was as caressing as her fingers had been against Rune’s head. “Now you have to try. Save us, Rune. Save Nicolas. And most of all, save the little girl.”

  “How does she know me?” Rune asked, breathless.

  Marta’s eyes were full of ancient knowledge. “Because you are like her, Rune. And she recognizes a kindred spirit.”

  But deep inside, Rune knew it was something more. Just as with Blood and Fire, she knew the witch, somehow.

  Maybe in her dreams.

  Or, more likely, in her nightmares.

  Part Two

  Contrition

  Chapter Sixteen

  Yes, she was changed.

  Her world was changed.

  Every step closer to her true self, to what—and who—she really was, changed her.

  Suddenly the berserker was there, behind her. He pulled her unresponsive body back against him and wrapped his arms around her.

  “All of you must leave,” Marta said. Her red, full lips looked soft, ornamental, almost, but the authority in her voice was unmistakable. “Rune will have to do this on her own, and staying will only ensure your deaths. The humans are coming to turn Rock County into a wasteland.” She stared down into Rune’s face. “Order them away, darling.”

  It always came down to being alone.

  She wet her dry, dry lips. “Leave me, guys.”

  Marta nodded at Jack. “Return her phone so she can give the order to release Nicolas. Once your people release him and he feeds, he will fly through the night to reach us.”

  “What’s to keep the witch from coming back for him, if I send her away?”

  “There are no guarantees. But maybe next time, he will be ready for her.”

  “I’m not leaving you here,” Strad said. His breath warmed her scalp. “I will not leave you.”

  She took a deep breath, straightened, and stepped out of his arms. “You will, Berserker. All of you will. And I swear to you I will not be defeated. I’ll join you as soon as I can.” Do I really believe that?

  Marta nodded approvingly. “She will save the world, children.”

  “Denim,” Z said. His despair and depression were almost visible. He still refused to look at Rune.

  She couldn’t blame him.

  “Shit,” she said.

  “I will find him,” Marta said. “And I’ll send him on his way. Come with me now. The witch is waiting and time is running out for the child.”

  “Rune,” Jack said. “No.”

  But what choice did she have? Rune wanted to smile, to be reassuring, to be confident. “I—” Her voice broke. “Get out of the county. Take George.” She straightened her spine. “I’ll fetch Stefanie and join you soon.”

  But the berserker folded his arms. He towered over her. Before Strad, Raze had been the tallest of Shiv Crew at almost six feet five inches tall. Strad had at least an inch on him. “I’m not leaving Rock County until you leave Rock County.”

  “Strad, the military can hurt me in only one way—by hurting my crew. If you stay here, I won’t be able to concentrate on the wicked witch of the Midwest.” She put her fingers against his chest. “Please, Berserker. Go away.”

  Raze stopped his truck in the middle of the street and joined them. “I have the boy in my truck,” he said. “He hasn’t come out of his…” He motioned helplessly. “Daze.”

  “Time is running out,” Jack said.

  “Tick tock,” Lex said, her voice so low Rune could barely hear her. But when Rune glanced at her, Lex’s smile shone brightly against the smooth blackness of her skin. “Don’t worry about us, Rune. The only thing on your mind should be the witch, and how quickly you can kill her.”

  Lex knew about evil.

  Rune nodded. “I’ll—” She cocked her head, fear squeezing her throat. “I hear a car.”

  As one, the crew drew shivs, guns, and in Rune’s case, claws. The cats disappeared, but Marta stood her ground, fangs peeking from her mouth.

  Rune shuddered, imagining helicopters suddenly appearing and wiping out her crew. “Run, you guys.”

  But then the car careened into view, going much too fast. It swerved and jumped a curb, then drove down a sidewalk as its driver tried to regain control.

  “Fuck me,” Rune breathed, and retracted her claws. “It’s Ellie.”

  His pale, determined face barely rose over the steering wheel, where both hands were firmly planted. His shoulders were hunched and he drove like the hounds of hell were riding his ass.

  “Uh-oh,” Lex said. “Zombies are chasing our boy.”

  She was right. A crowd of zombies chased the car. They chased the fucking car.

  “What the hell?” Rune said, and then she ran for Ellie, Levi right beside her.

  She could hear Ellis screaming, his voice high and warbling.

  Lex ran at her other side. “He’d make a hell of a yodeler.”

  And despite everything, Rune began laughing and couldn’t stop. Levi chortled, Lex giggled, and Rune was pretty sure the entire crew wore grins that would light up the whole world. With the exception, maybe, of Z.

  Finally Ellis rolled to a stop and put his hands to his face, still screaming. When Rune nearly yanked the door off its hinges in her hurry to get it open, he screamed even louder.

  “Ellie,” she yelled. “Shut the hell up.”

  She had no time to coddle him, not right then. The zombies were upon them. He lowered his hands, his mouth falling open. “Rune? Levi!”

  “Watch your hands.” She slammed the door. “Stay put, baby. We have to kill some monsters.”

  Levi put his palm against the window. Ellis, teary, lifted his hand to do the same. Touching through the glass, they smiled at each other.

  Rune shot her claws back out, dropped her fangs, and threw herself into the crowd of zombies.

  She needed some mindless fighting. Dread smothered her. She did not want to fight the witch. She did not want to be alone. She did not want to meet the one who might be responsible for bringing about the end of the world.

  Did not.

  But she would.

  Most of the zombies were Others. Others in animal form, and Others in human form. Rune ignored the fact that she still felt something for the zombies and concentrated only on destroying them.

  Blood flew, drenching her, coating her, seeping into her pores. It was magical.

  After all, the witch had helped make those zombies. It was only logical that some of the power would be inside them—and Rune was going to get as much of it as she could.

  And in the end, when the battle was nearly won, she grabbed a zombie, ripped off his lower jaw, then punctured his neck with her fangs.

  She fed.

  Part of her was disgusted and ashamed.

  Not only because she was so savage, so barbaric…she was an Other. She did what she had to do and had almost come to terms with it.

  No. She was ashamed because she enjoyed it so. She drank down the taste of the witch’s magic, her power, and wanted to writhe on the ground and bathe in it.

  The taste of evil.

  Worse than anything was the fear that she would not beat the witch.

  That instead, she would join her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Elizabeth,” she greeted, holding her cell to her ear with bloody fingers.

  The zombies lay strewn across the pavement like so many torn and battered dolls, and she watched as Ellis picked his way toward her, Levi at his side.

  “Rune,” Elizabeth said. “Are you out?”

  “No. I’m sending the crew home, but I have to stay. I don’t have time to explain, but I need you to go right now and release Llodra. He’ll come to me.”

  “Surely you know I can’t do that. Even if I could, he’s not…well enough to be released.”

  “I’m telling you there is some bad shit here and if you keep Llodra, you will all die.” She squeezed the phone. “Please. Rele
ase him. Someone is coming for him and you can’t stop her.” She lowered her voice, as though that would keep Marta from hearing her. “After this is over, I’ll go pick him up.”

  Elizabeth’s tone was heavy with sarcasm. “Because it was so easy the first time. Don’t forget what he did, Rune.”

  “I will never forget what he did. But if you don’t let him go now, you’re all in danger. I may not be able to defeat the monster who wants him. His punishment is not as important as your lives.”

  “I’ll talk to Bill Rice—”

  “There’s no time. Talk to Rice after, if you must. I need Llodra out right fucking now.”

  Elizabeth was a smart woman. She would help if she could. And she could. “I’ll do it. But Rune, be prepared to—”

  Rune stuffed her cell into her pocket just as Ellis reached her. She pulled him into her arms, her lips at his cheek. He wasn’t much taller than she was. She inhaled his scent, the scent of life and vitality and all that was right in the world.

  Ellis was pure and kind and though Llodra had either set out to turn him or just to mess with Rune’s head, Ellis remained Ellis.

  And she would be thankful for the rest of her life. Her world, without Ellie, would be too damn dark.

  “Hi baby,” she said.

  He peered into her eyes. “You can’t stay, Rune.” His voice was thick with tears. He knew she’d have to stay.

  She raised her gaze to Levi. “Take care of him.” It was a direct order—not just from his Shiv Crew captain, but from his mistress. From the woman who had brought him back from death.

  He nodded. “Always.”

  Ellis wiped his eyes and stepped away, his body stiff with determination. “Can we…” He tapped his chest, right over his heart, and lifted his hand, first and middle fingers crossed.

  She smiled. “Yes.” Maybe for the last time. She mimicked Ellis’s gesture, and the crew did the same. Silent and solemn, cloaked in a circle of closeness and strength, they gave Ellie’s sign.

  It was their promise of protection.

  They were Shiv Crew, and that was what they did.

  Marta watched them, mild curiosity in her gaze. Her cats had once again shown themselves. “Rune,” she said, gently. “We must go.”